Interlocking shingle



INTERLOCKING SHINGLE Filed L0 5. 11, 1950 ATTJRN EY Patented May 1, 934

UNITED STATES INTERLOCKING SHINGLE William P. Schulz, Teaneck, N. J., assignor to The Barrett Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1-1, 1930, Serial No. 494,888

4 Claims, (01. 108-7) This invention relates to roofing elements adapted to be laid with other similar roofing ele ments in overlapping courses upon a roof, and particularly to flexible roofing elements having interlocking members designed to engage a portion or portions of a roofing element in an adjacent course to hold the roofing element in place.

upon the roof.

Roofing elements of this type, such as individual or strip shingles, are often constructed with one or more projections or tabs which simulate individual shingles vvhen laid. Interlocking members provided on such shingles have in some instances comprised a slit or slot in the tab adjacent the outer edge thereof, through which a locking projection carried by the body portion of a roofing element in an adjacent course below projects to prevent the tab from curling or being raised from the roof by the action of the wind or elements. Such locking projections have heretofore been angular in form with the extremity of the locking projection of substantially the same width as the slit provided in the tab. It has been necessary, therefore, to employ tools or to force the slit open throughout substantially its entire width in order to insert the locking projection into the slit. This manipulation of the shingles, tools and locking projections in laying the shingles takes considerable time and there is always danger that the shingle will be torn or fractured adjacent the slit or the locking projection.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved type of roofing element with inroof and which overcomes the difiiculties heretofore presented in roofing elements of this type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shingle having a tab in which there is an elongated opening and having a locking projection formed on the body of the shingle provided with cam-shaped edges so that the projection can be readily inserted into the opening of a shingle being laid in an adjacent course above and efiect the correct positioning of the shingle being laid by shifting the shingle laterally if necessary by the cam action of the edges of the locking projection on the edge of the opening in the tab of the shingle being laid.

' These and other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description thereof:

In the form of the invention shown in the figures of the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred type of roofing element embodying myinvention;

terlocking members which is easily laid upon a Fig. 2 illustrates a plurality of the roofing elements shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a roof; and .Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the roofing ele ments when laid, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. The form of the invention illustrated in the drawing comprises a roofing element such as a flexible sheet having two tabs which are exposed when laid to simulate individual shingles. The roofing element comprises a body portion 2 and semi-hexagonal tabs 4 extending from the body portion and spaced by a recess 6. The outer edges 8 of the tabs are parallel and of substantially the same length as theinner edge 10 of the recess 6. Roofing elements of this form present a hexagonal design upon a ro'o'f, when laid in overlapping parallel courses with the tabs of one roof ing element positioned in staggered relation with the'tabs of the roofing elements in the adjacent courses.

The interlocking members of the roofing elements shown comprise elongated openings. 12 such as slits or slots adjacent the outer edges 8 of the tabs 4 and spaced a short distance therefrom. A locking projection 14 is located in the inner edge 10 of the recess 6 between the adjacent tabs 4. This locking projection is spaced a short distance from the adjacent tabs 4 and is of substantially the same width adjacent the body portion of the shingle as the elongated openings 12. The extremity of the locking projection 14 is of considerably less width than the slots 12 and is formed with curved or rounded edges 16 spaced from the adjacent portions of the roofing element by the recess 18. v

The shape and configuration of the locking projectionl4 is such that the projection is of substantially the same width as the elongated opening 12 adjacent the body portion of the roofing element, so that the strength of the locking projection where it is secured to the body portion 9 is substantially equal to the strength of the material from which the roofing element is made. However, the extremity of the locking projection 14, being of substantially less width than the elongated opening 12, is relatively flexible so that it is readily flexed upwardly to be inserted within the opening l2.

The body portion 2 is also provided with a locking projection 20 similar in. shape to the projection 14 but positioned adjacent one end of the body portion of the roofing element. The opposite end of the body portion of the roofing element is provided with a projection22 shaped to form with the locking projection 20 of an adjacent roofing element a configuration subing projection on the inner edge 10 of the recess 6 asshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In laying my improved shingle, the locking projections 14 and 20 of a shingle already laid are inserted in the openings in the tabs of shingles being laid in the adjacent course above. This insertion of the locking projections is facilitated by the shape and position of the projections. The extremity of the projections being narrow with respect to the width of the opening 12 enables the tip of the projection to be quickly and easily inserted in the opening without forcing the portion 24 of the tab downwardly over its whole width. With one course of shinglessecured to the roof the next or upper course may be laid by simply positioning slits 12 in the shingles being laid before the extremities of the interlocking projections 14 in the shingles secured to the roof and then moving the shingles being laid upwardly. Due to the pointed shape of the extremities of the projections 14, the projections enter the slit l2 and upon further upward movement of the shingles the cam or curved shaped sides 16 function to properly align the shingles being laid with respect to the underlying shingles.

The spacing of the extremity of the projection from adjacent portions of the shingle also enables the portion 24 to be flexed downwardly in a gradual curve between the underlying portions on either side of the locking projection of the shingle already laid. The extremity of the locking projection can be flexed upwardly slightly and thus easily inserted in the opening 12. The curved or cam edges 16 of the locking projection engage the ends of the opening 12 when the shingle is moved into position and act as a cam to shift the shingle being laid into the proper position with reference to the shingles in the adjacent course below. Thus, if the portion 24 of the shingle being laid is depressed near one end of the opening 12, the shingle will nevertheless be positioned properly by the cam edges of the locking projection merely by moving the shingle into position to be secured in place. This construction and arrangement of the interlocking members is of particular advantage in that the shingles can be quickly and easily laid, saving considerable time and avoiding danger oftearing or fracturing the shingle. Furthermore, when the locking projection is in place within the opening 12,.the' portion 24 of the tab is flexed downwardly in a gradual curve beneath the relatively flexible locking projection and is not depressed in a manner which tends to tear the shingle.

The roofing elements illustrated may be laid as shown in Fig. 2 with the semi-hexagonal tabs of the elements in one course positioned in staggered relation with the semi-hexagonal tabs of the elements of adjacent courses above and below to present a symmetrical hexagonal design of pleasing appearance simulating a plurality of individual shingles. The locking projections 14 hold the tabs 4 securely in place on the roof to prevent curling or displacement of the tabs under the influence of heat, wind or rain.

Although I have illustrated my invention in 1,956,732 'stantially the same as that presented by the lockthe drawing in the form of a roofing element formed with a plurality of semi-hexagonal tabs with the locking projection located on the inner edge of the recess and between the tabs in position to engage the elongated openings of similar roofing elements in the adjacent course above, the invention is not limited to this specific form of roofing element, and is not confined to roofing elements formed with a plurality of tabs. Therefore, it is not intended that the invention should be limited to the specific form illustrated and described, except as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. A strip shingle adapted to be laid with other similar shingles in overlapping courses on a roof comprising a body portion having a plurality of semi-hexagonal tabs with parallel lower edges, said tabs being spaced by a recess, the inner edge of said recess being of substantially the same length as the lower edge of said tabs, whereby the shingles when laid present a symmetrical hexagonal design, each tab being formed with an elongated opening parallel to and adjacent the outer edge of the tab, and a locking projection formed in the body portion of the shingle and positioned in the inner edge of said recess, said projection lying in the-plane of the shingle and being of substantially the same width as said openings adjacent the body portion of the shingle, the extremity of said locking projection being of substantially less width than said openings and provided with curved edges spaced from adjacent portions of the shingle.

2. A roofing element adapted to be laid with other similar roofing elements in overlapping courses comprising a sheet of material provided with an opening and having a locking projection formed integral with the sheet, said projection lying wholly within the border edges of the sheet and adapted to pass upwardly through the opening of an overlapping element, the extremity of said projection lying in the plane of the sheet and being spaced from adjacent portions of the sheet.

3. A roofing element adapted to be laid with similar roofing elements in overlapping courses comprising a' sheet of material provided with an opening and having a locking projection lying wholly within the border edges of the sheet adapted to pass through the opening of an element in an adjacent course, said projection lying in the plane of the sheet and having its edges spaced from adjacent portions of the sheet.

4. A strip shingle adapted to be laid with other similar shingles in overlapping courses on a roof comprising a body portion having a plurality of semi-hexagonal tabs and complemental recesses along one longitudinal edge thereof, each tab being formed with an elongated opening parallel to and adjacent the outer edge'of the tab, and a locking projection formed integral with the shingle in the body portion thereof, said projection lying wholly within the border edges of the shingle and adapted to pass upwardly through the opening of an overlapping shingle, the extremity of said projection lying in the plane of the shingle and being spaced from adjacent portions of the shingle.

WILLIAM P. SCHULZ. 

